Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-24
went as Far as the buckeyes"
aThen it was you who told them about it,"


of her sister, she blushed. Josephine kissed
her and said:
cit icas treating US like children, Kate
but we must make them pay for it hereafter.
For that package and letter TO John means
something, and we shall probably see them
before long. / wonder what the letter i;
about, and what is in the packagef"
Probably one of Mr.. Lees jokes. He il
quite capable of turning the whole thing into
ridicule ! dare say he considers his visit
here prolonged jest"
"With his poor leg, Kates You are as un-
fair to him as you were to Fallner when they
first came"
Kate. however, kept her dark eyebrows
knitted in a piquant frown.
"To think Of his intimating ,Uhat he would
allow Falkner to sayl And yet you believe
he has no evil influence over the young
man.
Mrs Hale laughed. "Where are you going
so fast, KateG" she called, mischievously, as
the young lady iounced out of the room.
"Where3 Why, to tidy Johns room. He
may be coming at any moment now. Or do
you want to do it yourselfs"
"No, no." returned Mrs. Hale, hlrriedly,
"you do it. I'll look in a little later on"
She turned away with a sigh. The sun
was shining brilliantly outside. Through
the half -open blinds its long shafts seemed
to be searching the house for the lost guests,
and making the hollow shell appear doubly
empty. What contrast to the dear dark
days of mysterious seclusion and delicious
security, Lit by Lees laughter and the spark
ling hearth, which had passed so quickly
The forgotten outer world seemed to have
returned to the house through those open
windows and awakened its dwellers from a
dream.
The morning seemed interminable, and it
was past noon, while they were deep in a
sympathetic conference with Mrs. Scott, who
had drawn a pathetic word picture of the
two friends perishing in the snowdrift, with
out flannels, brandy, smelling salts or jelly,
which they had forgotten, when they were
startled by the loud barking of Spot on the
lawn before the house. The women looked
hurriedly at each other.
''They have returned" said Mrs Hale
Kate ran to the window. A horseman was
approaching the house. A single glance
showed her that it was neither Falkner, Lee
nor Hale, but stranger.
perhaps he brings some news of them,"
said Mrs. Scott, quickly. So complete had
been their preoccupation with the loss of
their guests that they could not yet conceive
of anything that did not pertain to it,
The stranger, who was ct once ushered into
the parlor, was evidently disconnected by the
presence of the three women.
'Ireckoned to see John Hale yer" he began,
A slight look of disappointment passed
over their faces. "He has not yet returned"
said Mrs. Hale briefly.
"Sho! l ws~ter know. He's he'd time to
do it, reckon" said the stranger.
II suppose he hasn't been able to get over
from the Summit, /" returned Mrs. Hale "The
trail is closed"
at amt now, for KEN over it this morn
In myself"
"You didn't-meet-any one" asked
Mrs. Hale timidly, with glance at the
others.
"No.n
A long silence ensued The unfortunate
visitor plainly perceived an evident abate-
ment of interest in himself, yet he stu
politely to say something. "Then
I reckon you know what kept Hale away!"
be said obviously
"Oh, certainly-the stage robbery"
Il wish I'd known that" said the stran-
ger rehectively, "for ez good ez rode over
jist to tell it to ye. Ye see John Hale, he
sent note to ye 'splainin matters by gen
tleman; but the road agents tackled that
man, and left him for dead in the road"
EYES," said Mrs. Hale impatiently.
"Luckily be didn't die, but KEN to and man.
aged to crawl inter the bush, whar found
him when was lool1in' for stock, and brought
him to my house,
"You found him? Your housew interrupted
Mrs Hale.
"Inter my house." continued the man dog
gedly. am Thompson of Thompson's Pass
over yon: mebbe it amt much of house,
but brought him thar. Well, ez he couldn't
find the note that Hale had guv him, and like
ez not the road agents had gone through him
and got it, cz soon ez the weather let up
made break over yer to tell ye."
"You say Mr.. Lee came to your house" re-
peated Mrs. Hale, land is there now?"
"Not much," said the man grimly; sand
never said Lee was thar. mean that Bilson
was shot by Lee and kem"--
"Certainly, Josephine!" said Kate, suddenly
stepping between her sister and Thompson,
and turning upon her white face and eyes
Of silencing significance; "certainly-don't
you remember-thats tho story we got
from the Chinaman, you know, only mud
died. Go on, sir" she continued, turning to
Thompson calmly; "you say that the man
who brought the note from my brother was
shot by Lees"
"And another fellow they call Fallner.
Yes, that's about the size of it."
"Thank you; it's nearly the same story that
we heard. But you have had long ride,
Mr. Thompson; let me offer you glass of
whisky in the dining room. This way,
please"
The door closed upon them none too soon.
For Mrs Hale already felt the room whirling
around her and sank back into her chair with
an hysterical laugh Old Mrs Scott did not
move from her seat, but, with her eyes fixed
on the door, impatiently waited Kate's re-
turn. Neither spoke, but each felt that the
young, untried girl was equal to the emer-
gency and would get at the truth.
The sound of Thompson's feet in the hall
and the closing of the front door was followed
by Hates temperance Her face was still
pale, but calm.
"Welli" said the two women in breath
"Well,n returned Kate, slowly, "Mr. Lee
and MIR. Falkner were undoubtedly the two
men who took the paper from Johns messen-
ger and brought it here"
"You are surei' said Mrs. Scott
"There can be no mistake, mother"
"Then,r said Mrs Scott, with triumphant
feminine logic, II don't want anything more
to satisfy me that they are perfectly limo
cent?